Method of forming drawer slide



Jan. 20,1959 A I 2,869,499

' METHOD OF FORMING DRAWER SLIDE Filed March 3, 1-955 METHOD OF FORMING DRAWER SLIDE Fred H. Arnit, Prospect Heights, Iil., assignor to Garden I(llity Plating & Manufacturing Co., a corporation of linoia Application March 3, 1955, Serial No. 491,997

3 Claims. (Cl. 113-116) lEllis invention relates to a method of forming drawer s 1 es.

Drawers mounted in filing cabinets or similar structures are generally provided with a channel rigidly secured to each side of the drawer. Each of these channels cooperates with a mating channel rigidly secured to the side of the cabinet to form a slide for each side of the drawer. A roller is mounted adjacent one end of one of the channels, and a similar roller is mounted on the opposite end of the other channel. Each channel engages the roller mounted on its mating channel to keep the drawer properly aligned and to facilitate the sliding movement of the drawer.

In accordance with the present invention a single flat blank is punched and then cut to part the metal to form blanks for two mating channels. After the parting operation each blank is formed into one of the desired pair of mating channels by subjecting it to two simple punch press operations.

The means and method by which the above and other advantages of the invention are attained will be described in the following specification, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing showing a preferred illustrative embodiment of the invention, in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a composite blank embodying the invention, after it has been punched, but before the parting and forming operations have been performed;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the blank of the drawer channel after the parting operation has separated it from the composite blank;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the other blank, for the channel to be secured to the cabinet, separated from the blank of Fig. 2 by the parting operation;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the drawer channel after the forming operation;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the cabinet channel after the forming operation;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the pair of mating channels in operative relationship;

Fig. 7 is a cross sectional view showing the blank for the cabinet channel after the first forming operation; and

Fig. 8 is a cross sectional view showing the cabinet channel after the second forming operation.

Referring to the drawings, a flat strip of sheet metal is punched to provide the composite blank 2 shown in Fig. 1. The blank is provided with slots 3 and 4 spaced equally from the ends of the blank. The slots extend from opposite longitudinal edges of the blank, and each extends past the longitudinal center line. A short cut 5 extending at right angles to slot 3 severe a piece of the metal along two of its sides to form a lip 6 which is bent at right angles to the plane of blank 2 in the same punching operation. A slot 7 extends inwardly from the opposite edge of slot 3 parallel to the cut 5 and in the opposite direction. A slot 8, similar to slot 7, extends inwardly from the slot 4 in the same plane as slot 7. The edges 1": slots 7 and 8 define the lines 9 along which the com- 2,85%, 1519 Patented Jan. 20, 1959 posite blank is later severed to separate it into blanks 10 and 11 for two mating channels, one of which is to be secured to a side of the cabinet, and the other of which is to be secured to the side of the drawer.

Slot 3 leaves an extension 12 projecting the full width of the composite blank at one end of the blank 11. Lip 6 projects at right angles to extension 12 adjacent its inner edge. Slot 4 leaves a similar extension 13 projecting from the opposite end of blank 10. The outer edge of extension 13 is cut away, making it shorter than extension 12. When the completed channels are secured to the drawer and cabinet, extension 12 extends upwardly with lip 6 positioned just above the upper edge of the mating channel. Extension 13 extends downwardly with its lower edge approximately flush with the lower edge of the channel formed from blank 11.

In the original punching operation, in addition to the various slots mentioned, the composite blank is provided with apertures 14, 15 and 16. After the channels are formed, screws are passed through apertures 14 to secure each channel to either the cabinet or the drawer. Rollers (not shown) are rotatably mounted on studs fixed in apertures 15. An angle bar (not shown), which cooperates with a stop member hereinafter described to limit the outward movement of the drawer relative to the cabinet, is pivotally secured to one of the channels by a rivet or stud fixed in aperture 16.

The second operation is the parting operation by means of which the composite blank is severed along lines 9 to separate it into blanks 10 and 11 for mating channels. Blanks 10 and 11 are formed separately into channels 17 and 15;, respectively.

Blank 10 is laid flat in a punch press and in a single operation one longitudinal edge portion is bent to form three angular sections 19, 2t and 21. Section 19 extends downwardly from the flat blank at an angle of approximately 45 degrees. Center section 211' is parallel to the body portion of flat blank 10, and outer section 21 extends upwardly at an angle of approximately 45 degrees from the outer edge of section 26. In this first bending operation a stop member 22 is embossed downwardly from center section 20. Stop member 22 is positioned a short distance from the inner edge of extension 13 and its edge remote from the extension is perpendicular to the plane of section 20 from which it is formed, so that it abuts the angle bar pivoted adjacent aperture 16 when the drawer is slid outwardly to limit the outward movement of the drawer.

In the second forming operation for channel 17 the angular sections 19, 2t and 21 are bent upwardly as a unit through an angle of approximately degrees so that section 19 extends upwardly from the plane of the body portion of blank 1t) at an angle of approximately 45 degrees. Section 21 is slightly narrower than section 19 so that after the final bending operation the outer longitudinal edge of section 21 is spaced slightly outward from the vertical plane through the line of bend between the body portion of blank 10 and section 19 to facilitate vertical movement of the forming die after the final bend.

The forming operation for channel 18 is similar to that for channel 17 except that both longitudinal edges of blank 11 are bent simultaneously to form sections 23, 24 and 2'5 at the upper edge of the channel and sections 26, 27 and 28 at its lower edge, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8. Sections 25 and 28 are each slightly narrower than sections 23 and 26 to facilitate vertical movement of the forming die after the final forming operation. Slot 3 spaces the end of the upper edge of the body portion of blank 11 from extension 12 to provide the necessary clearance for the forming dies.

While I have described a preferred embodiment of my invention in detail, it will be understood that the de- 3 scription thereof is intended to be illustrative, rather than restrictive, as many details may be modified or changed without departing. from the spirit or scope of my invention. ;Aecordingly, I do notdesire to be restricted to the exact structure or method described, except as limited by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A method oftorming a pair of mating drawer slide channels from a flat rectangular strip which comprises the steps of simultaneously punching said strip form a plurality of apertures and a pair of slits, said slits being at opposite end portions of said strip and extending in opposite directions, then parting said strip along a line intersecting said slits to form separate blanks, and finally forming the edges of said separate blanks, said forming operation comprising a first step of bending the longitudinal edge portion of one blank into three angular sections with the section adjacent the body portion of the blank extending at an angle of approximately 45 degrees from said'body portion, and a final step of bending said three angular sections as a unit through an angle of approximately 90 degrees to position said section adjacent the body portion of the blank at an angle of approximately 45 degrees in the opposite direction relative to said body portion.

2. A method of forming a channel from a flat strip which comprises bending one edge portion of said strip into three angular sections with the first section at an angle of approximately 45 degrees to said strip, the center section approximately parallel to said strip, and the outer section at an angle of approximately 45 degrees to said center section, and then bending said three angular sections as a unit through an angle of approximately 90 degrees in the direction opposite the direction of the angle formed between the first section and said strip by the first bending operation.

3. A method of forming a channel from a fiat strip which comprises the steps of simultaneously bending both longitudinal edge portions to form three contiguous angular sections at each edge with both inner sections extending at approximately 45 degrees from the body portion of said strip and the sections at each edge of said strip extending in an angular relationship to the other sections at the same edge of said strip identical to the angular relationship between said sections in the completed channel, and then simultaneously bending each of said three angular sections as a unit through an angle of approximately 90 degrees in a direction opposite the direction of the angle formed between each inner section and the body portion of said strip by the first bending operation.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Anderson Mar. 10, 1948 

